Diamond railway-joint.



No. 781,980. PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905.

G. A. WOODARD & G. BARLOW. DIAMOND RAILWAY JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18. 1903.

UNITED STATES Patented February '7, 1905.

PATENT ()EEICE.

DIAMOND RAILWAY-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 781,980, dated February '7, 1905.

Application filed July 18,1903. Serial No. 166,196.

1''!) (0 1111mm if may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES A. IVOODARD and GUYBARLow, citizens of the United States, residing at Shelbyville,in the county of Shelby and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Diamond Railway-Joint, of which the following is a specification.

Ourinvention relates to improvements in connecting rail-joints in the construction of steam, electric, and other railroad tracks in which the joints of the rails are fitted, connected, and secured by means of a diamondshaped block which is dovetailed into the top or ball of the rail, but which has a groove fitting over the web of the rail and which rests lirmly upon the sides of the base of the rail, by means of which block the strength of the joint is increased, the top of the rail is given a continuous and smooth surface, danger of spreading rails is prevented, all joint-pounding or joint-click is avoided, the ends of the rails are protected from breaking or battering, and greater freedom of contraction and expansion is allowed without any increase in joint-space.

For the better explanation of our invention we attach hereto drawings marked, respectively, Figure 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3, and Fig. at. Fig. l is a side view of an ordinary T-rail, showing a complete diamond-joint, the top of the diamond being hidden by the edges of the rail and the downward projections of the diamond-block being hidden by the fish-plates. Fig. 2 is a top View of a complete diamondjoint in an ordinary T-rail, showing the top of the diamond as it appears in a complete joint. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a T-rail, showing a diamond-block set in place upon one end of the rail only without any fish-plate and showing the hole in the lower projections of-the diamond-block to hold it in place and also the upper part of the diamond-block, which projects into the top or ball of the other or absent rail. Fig. l is across-section view of a complete diamond-joint as it would appear if a complete joint were cut in two transversely at the ends of the rails. It shows the relative size and location of the parts of the diamond-block with the rail, how the diamondblock is set into the top or ball of the rails,

how its lower projections lit over and on each side of the web of the rail, and how it is all held in place by the bolt passing through the center of the downward projections of the block, the ends of the rails, and the fish-plates.

In the construction of this joint, which we denominate a diamond-joint, the principal feature is a contrivance which we call a diamond-block, made of steel or other hard metal and having a diamond-shaped top the surface of which conforms to the surface of an ordinary T-rail and having two downward projections extending downward to the base of the rail forming a groove which fits over the web of the rail and having beveled edges and a hole in the center for fastening. In constructing this joint the top or ball of each end of the rails to be joined is cut away in a V shape, the open end outward, and so done that when two rails are put togother the opening in the top of the rail is diamond-shaped, as appears in Fig. 2 at D. This cut is through the ball of the rail only and deep enough to reach the web, as shown at D in Figs. 3 and 4. The edges of the ball of the rail are not cut away, but are left of sufticient thickness-- about half the thickness of the lishplatesto maintain their strength when projected by the fish-plates underneath, as shown at A in Figfit. N 0 other cutting of the rail is necessary, eX- cept for the bolt hereinafter mentioned. 'lwo projections of the diamond-block extend downward on each side of the web of the rails directly over the joint, these projections being equally half-and-half on each of the two rails to be joined and entirely to and resting upon the base of the rails, as shown at E in Figs. 3 and 4. A hole is drilled through these lower projections, as shown at C in Fig. 3, this hole being on a line with the holes in ordinary T- rails and fish-plates of all railroad-tracks. A hole is also drilled through the fish-plates to conform to this hole in the diamond-block projections, and this hole is continued through the web of the rails to be joined directly at their joint, this hole being out equally half from each end of the two rails. A bolt similar to bolts used in all joints is inserted through this hole, and when fastened with the proper nut therefor holds the fish-plates, diamondbeveled edges of the diamond-block are made to fit firmly against the sides of the fish-plates and also firmly against the sides of the rails under the fish-plates.

WVhat We claim as'our invention, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

The diamond-block With its groove and projections, as shown in combination With rails provided with the V-shaped openings in the balls thereof, all held in place by the bolts and fish-plates substantially as set forth.

CHARLES A. WOODARD. GUY BARLOW.

Vitnesses:

JOSEPH BoWLBY, WILLIAM SLEETH. 

